{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,12]],"date-time":"2025-04-12T04:05:47Z","timestamp":1744430747225,"version":"3.40.4"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744329600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Acta Neurobiol. Exp."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Numerous experimental data point to therapeutic effects of electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves. Stimulation of low\u2011threshold proprioceptive afferents to motoneurons (MNs) innervating the ankle extensor muscles of the rat increases glutamatergic Ia MN inputs and spinal and muscle expression of neurotrophin\u20113, instrumental for proprioceptive afferent\u2011MN connections. We aimed to examine morphological consequences of the cuff electrode implanted around the tibial nerve used for chronic stimulation which may cause unwanted effects through its long\u2011lasting contact with the nerve. We addressed also the questions if stimulation of low\u2011threshold proprioceptive afferents may contribute to neural damage, affect capillary vessels and macrophage morphology reflecting functional state of the nerve. Their consequences on axonal and nerve ultrastructure have not been previously evaluated. To examine the effect of cuff electrodes and of 7\u2011day low\u2011threshold stimulation applied in the 4th week post\u2011implantation on the tibial nerve, electrodes were implanted bilaterally, and a stimulation was added unilaterally. Non\u2011implanted group was the control. The counts of myelinated axons, their cross\u2011sectional area (&gt;1 \u03bcm2) and circularity were measured on photomicrographs captured with use of light microscope from semi\u2011thin Epon sections stained with toluidine blue. Ultrastructural observations with TEM included myelin, axoplasm, Remak fibers, blood vessels, macrophages and fibroblasts. Four weeks after implantation of the cuff, the mean cross\u2011sectional area of the nerve, and counts, area and diameter of the myelinated fibers were lower compared to control. The largest fibers located in the external parts of the main nerve branches and dispersed in small branches were changed the most. No significant difference in either parameter between unstimulated (NS) and stimulated (S) nerve was found. Axons in Remak bundles were dispersed comparably in NS and S nerves. Thinly myelinated fibers demonstrating features of demyelination with remyelination were identified. We provide evidence that long-lasting presence of the cuff electrode is not neutral for nerve structure, causing mild shrinkage of large myelinated axons and impairment of organization of unmyelinated fibers. Since we demonstrated that low\u2011threshold proprioceptive stimulation of the tibial nerve results in a stable Hoffmann reflex and induces synaptic plasticity by increasing glutamatergic input to MNs, we conclude that the applied protocol maintains an adequate margin of safety.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.55782\/ane-2024-2660","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T08:10:07Z","timestamp":1744359007000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of chronic cuff electrode implantation and stimulation of the rat tibial nerve: ultrastructural analysis of myelinated axons and their microenvironment"],"prefix":"10.55782","author":[{"given":"Olga","family":"Gajewska-Wo\u017aniak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Julita","family":"Czarkowska-Bauch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrzej","family":"Szczepankiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Skup","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"34635","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]]},"container-title":["Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ane.pl\/index.php\/ane\/article\/download\/2660\/2512","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/ane.pl\/index.php\/ane\/article\/download\/2660\/2512","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T08:10:07Z","timestamp":1744359007000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ane.pl\/index.php\/ane\/article\/view\/2660"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55782\/ane-2024-2660","relation":{},"ISSN":["1689-0035","0065-1400"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1689-0035","type":"electronic"},{"value":"0065-1400","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]]}}}